No, this pose won’t help you swim better. However, this pose might just help you feel and look better! Stick around to find out what it is all about.

The Fish Yoga Pose has two types that yoga attendees have at their disposal. The first one is the traditional pose. The traditional Fish Yoga Pose requires you to put your legs in Padmasana. This is really difficult for most people who are new and just beginning to learn yoga poses so it was modified a little bit. 

The modification of the pose is its second type – it requires you to bend your knees and put your feet to the floor. Let’s check it out.

How to master the Fish Yoga Pose

Step 1 

Dressed comfortably in yoga leggings, you begin this pose by laying on the floor. Your knees should be bent and your feet should be resting on the floor. As you inhale, you should lift your pelvis just slightly from the floor in order to put your arms under it. Your arms should slide in that space with your hands facing the floor.

Now that you have put your hands below your buttocks, you should pull your body down and sit on them. While you are performing this pose, remember not to lift your hands at all!

Step 2

Step 2 of this pose requires you to firmly press the floor with your elbows and forearms. Now, slowly place your scapula into your back and take a deep breath. As you inhale, lift your head and your upper body away from the floor.

From that position, release your head slowly down. Your head should now touch the floor either with its back, side, or with its top, depending on the angle of your body and how far back it went. Your neck should not be under a huge amount of pressure! 

Step 3

You can choose to straighten your legs now but you can also keep your knees bent. It depends only on you and your capabilities. You should stay in this pose anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. While you are in this pose remember to breathe slowly, through your lungs. As you exhale you should lower your upper body and your head down to the floor. That’s the Fish pose!

The Final Verdict

The Fish Yoga Pose is good for battling anxiety, fatigue, menstrual pain, mild backache, and more. 

This pose may be a little bit more challenging to beginners but it is definitely a great pose to implement into your routine. Once you master this “easier” version of the pose, try the traditional, harder one. 

Remember that not all yoga poses are easy to learn. Good things take time and this yoga pose is definitely worth the wait. While you are waiting for your body to fully “accept” the pose you will also experience many of its benefits.

Well, that would be it! I hope you have enjoyed this article and, at the end of the day, I hope you give it a try!

A yoga mat is like a tool that is important for any yoga practitioner. A yoga mat defines a particular space that a person has in the yoga studio. This way, a person knows where he should keep his feet while practicing yoga. Yoga is a way of silencing your mind, and it thus needs a lot of focus and concentration; therefore, the slightest disturbance can affect your practice.

A yoga mat is seen as a safe zone; it is more like the resemblance of your personal space. Most yoga practitioners will use a yoga mat, and also keep it with them while traveling. That is why yoga mats are needed; moreover, it is essential to take care of your yoga mats for various reasons. It is firstly vital to take care of your yoga mat because of your body. In 2009, research that took place at Columbia University’s College of Physician and Surgeons showed that many yoga-related injuries included the lower back, the knees, etc.

These injuries were mostly seen among those practitioners who were practicing yoga directly on the floor without the use of a yoga mat. Without using a yoga mat, more pressure is put on the body while carrying out certain yoga poses, and there is a less firm grip as well as protection to the neck and shoulders. The journal of the American Medical Association stated that cross-legged positions could cause more pressure on the knees.

The American College of Sports Medicine states that people should use sticky mats as they decrease the chances of slipping as your feet will not slide on it, and so the mat does not slip on the floor as well. Moreover, they suggest practitioners use a mat that can quickly help them from switching between different poses. Instead of seeing yoga mats as an obstacle, you should see it as a tool that will help your practice.

Yoga mats also help you stay warm rather than being in direct contact with the cold floor. Thus a thicker mat will provide more warmth to the muscles. The warmer the muscles, the more flexible they get and thus making them less prone to different kinds of injuries. Moreover, they provide more stability and an easier way to adjust from different positions. The following are the specific features you must keep in mind while buying a yoga mat.

The thickness of the mat is quite vital, as that is what defines the comfort level. If the mat is too thin, the knee may get injured while making a lunge. An average yoga mat has a thickness of 1/8th inch, whereas the thickest mat would be 1/4th inch. In addition to these, there are thinner mats, which are about 1/6th inch, known as travel mats.

The material of the yoga mat is also essential as it shows how environmentally friendly it is, how long it will take to wear over time, its texture, and a lot more. Yoga mats are usually made of PVC; however nowadays, there are many kinds of mats made that are more eco-friendly and are made out of recycled and natural rubber, organic cotton, natural cotton, and jute.

In addition to these, the texture of the yoga mat shows the traction it provides. The composition of the mat also affects the chances of slipping and sliding. Moreover, it also affects the comfort level provided to the person.

The first chakra is the physical, ancestral and vital root. It is located at the base of the spine, specifically at the coccyx which located on the perineum between the anus and the genitals. Its function in the body is related to the strength of the bones, teeth, nails, intestine, legs, and feet.

Muladhara Chakra acts as a foundation for all the other chakras. Its good functioning is a determinant for the spiritual development of all the situations that make up the individual. It is the root of the energy system because it is the first of the seven main chakras. It regulates the forces that are related to the physical being and the relationship with the material world and to the connection with the earth. It represents the most elementary of the being that requires solidity and connection with the earth as a provider of life, strength, and protection. The color that identifies it is the red that corresponds to the most primitive energy of the earth and the life that emerges from it.

It is necessary to become aware of your own body and feel the energy provided by the earth with standing postures which increase strength and balance of the body connecting to the base of the column with the ground to open the energy system from the root.

Tadasana – Mountain Pose

Stand with your feet together or slightly apart, focus your gaze to the front while the spine stays straight, arms are next to the body, relaxing the shoulders and facial muscles. The weight must be distributed very well on both feet. Attentive to breathing, one must become aware of each part of his or her body, how he or she stands firmly on the ground, and how it gives him or her strength and vitality.

Virabhadrasana – Warrior Pose I

Start standing in the mountain pose, with an inhalation take a step or a jump separating the legs a meter away. Women gym clothes and cotton leggings will allow one to experience greater flexibility in each movement. The right leg is left forward flexing the knee without passing the toes, turn the left foot 45 degrees. The heels of both feet should be aligned. Rotate the pelvis fully to the front, the spine should be straight, look for stability in the feet and ankles. Exhale and bend the right knee a little more, so that the thigh makes a 90 ° angle with the floor and the calf is perpendicular. Extend the arms above the head parallel to the ground and keep the pose breathing deeply and feeling as it connects with the earth and fills with vitality and energy, filling with the spiritual strength of the warrior.

Malasana or Indian Pose

Start the standing posture and separate the feet at a distance similar to the width of the shoulders. Slowly and conscientiously make a squat by flexing the knees and hips deeply, the feet are kept firm on the floor, lower as much as possible and bring the torso forward between the thighs, the spine should be held in a straight line with the crown of the head. By using yoga leggings, you can perform the leg flexions more easily and comfortably. Join the hands in namaste and bring them to the center of the chest. With the elbows, make a slight pressure on the thighs to deepen the opening of the hips. With controlled breathing, sustain the confidence that transmits the pose.

Certain yoga poses are a great way to relieve back pain. There are some simple stretches to relieve your back pain, target pain in your neck and shoulders, as well as relieve pain in your lower back as well.

Yoga stretches can help improve your range of motion in the back area including the spine, increase your flexibility, and help alleviate back pain. The more often you practice these stretches the faster you will get results and also prevent future back pain from occurring.

Remember to consult your doctor if you have a serious back condition. If you feel more pain when doing any of the following poses immediately stop doing them. These poses are not designed to cause any pain, so if you do feel some, make sure you stop because that could cause you more harm.

Get Seated: Wearing cozy yoga leggings, start from a comfortable seated position. You can sit cross-legged you feel more comfortable. Just make sure that you can lengthen your spine nice and tall. Bring your hands right on top of your knees.

Side Stretch: Bring your left hand onto the floor beside you sweep your right arm up and over. Stretch the right side of your body. Think about reaching your fingertips far away. Meanwhile, root down through the right side of your hip instead of simply collapsing through the spine as you reach over. Repeat on the other side and breathe deeply as you rest your gaze on one point in the room.

Seated Twist: Bring your right hand across to your right knee. Reach your left fingertips behind you. Sit up nice and tall so you lengthen your spine. As you ready twist to the left. Turn your gaze all the way over your left shoulder so your neck is still a part of this twist. Gently unwind, back through center. Repeat on the other side.

Tabletop Spinal Twist: Come to a neutral tabletop position with your shoulders stacked directly over your wrists and your hips stacked directly over your knees. Plant your weight into your left hand. Sweep your right arm and hand up. Then scoop your right fingertips underneath your left arm. Come all the way down to the floor to your shoulder. This is a nice stretch for the backs of your shoulders in between your shoulder blades. Breathe and let the tension in the back soften. Plant the weight into the palm touching the floor and reverse the arm that swept under until you’re back in tabletop pose.

In Buddhism, we often hear the mind referred to as the “monkey mind”. This means that it’s playing tricks, moving from thought to thought, the way a monkey would from branch to branch. I find it challenging to quiet the chatter of the monkeys, especially when external life circumstances lead me to many introspective or reactive thoughts. There are many tools within yoga to assist with quieting the mind and achieving meditation. One of my favorites is using mantras.

Mantras are a tool that can ground your body, mind, and soul. “Mantra” actually translates from Sanskrit into free from (man-) the mind (-tra). They can allow us to step outside of the chattering noise of the monkeys and into a free-flowing state of consciousness or meditation. The interesting thing about mantras spoken in Sanskrit is that their meaning is actually less important or impactful than their sound. The vibration that the sound of the mantra produces is said to be extremely powerful and can reach the inner places of our subconscious, releasing thought patterns and traumas stored within that no longer serve us.

When we concentrate on chanting a mantra over and again for a long duration of time, we can reach a point of steady concentration which is Dharana in Sanskrit. The mind becomes quiet and fixed on one single point of focus. This can be incredibly relieving. I have experienced that many thought patterns that are often associated with anxiety and depression can be relieved through mantra meditation.

Using mantras can be performed for the purpose of spiritual growth or simply relaxation. It deepens and strengthens our inner awareness. By silencing external chatter, we learn more about our thought patterns and how we already have the tools – like intentional concentration – to change our patterns of thinking. Repeated practice will begin to change the space that our automatic thoughts manifest and often will bring more silence and stillness into the monkey mind. The subsequent positive effects of using mantra meditation include a lower level of perceived stress, more mental space, and awareness for the compassion of others and ourselves, and increased attunement with our intuition.

My favorite mantras are ones that I can remember easily and roll off my tongue with joy and ease. It is said that when choosing a mantra, it is often more important how it feels to say or hear this mantra instead of focusing on finding a mantra of which its meaning is in total alignment with your intention. Although a mantra with intention can be helpful. Lately, I have been chanting a mantra that is chanted to Ganesh. The mantra is “Om Gum Ganapatayei Namah”. I feel still and peaceful after chanting this mantra. I use counting on my fingers or beads on a mala necklace to keep track of the number of repetitions. I select a number beforehand and commit to completing that number of repetitions. This allows me to really sink into the meditation. While I did not initially choose it based on its meaning, I found that its meaning aligns with my desires.

So, choose a mantra that sounds pleasant to your ears! You may find that its intended purpose and meaning aligns with your intentions, and if it doesn’t, you may need to trust that for some reason that may not yet be clear, its sacred vibration will provide strength, healing, and encouragement on your path.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga, are the different principles that makeup the Ashtanga Yoga system. The eight components walk us through practices such as non-violence, truthfulness, devotion, asanas, pranayama, amongst others. The last three components, however, known as antaratma sadhana or innermost quest, perhaps present the most important steps towards finding oneness with the universal self. These three principles are dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (enlightenment); and come about after learning how to direct our attention towards our inner being rather than directing it towards the outside world.

When reading about the Eight Limbs of Yoga or any other spiritual-related text, many tend to find concepts very abstract and out of reach. The aspiration of attaining a constant non-violent approach to life, for example, can be shattered in a matter of seconds after having a silly discussion with one of our colleagues or family members. Nourishing our body in a loving and caring way may find innumerable obstacles throughout our day and at times something as simple as telling the truth may seem utterly difficult.

But many of us walk through life without noticing that, whether we want it or not and whether we are conscious or not conscious about it, we are all leading spiritual existences; and that the same ideals that are apparently unattainable play a part in our lives more often than we realize. All we have to do is to pay close attention to when these elusive illuminating moments knock on our doors and be grateful for them. The more aware and grateful we are of them, the more they will knock our doors.

Dharana

If you have ever been so immersed and focused on something which has even caused you to forget about everything and everyone around you, you have experienced dharana. Whether it is submerging yourself in creating a new drawing, reading a book, composing a song or aiming a ball inside the goal; all the times in which you have concentrated on a single action or thought have been an expression of dharana in your life. It is during those times in which all distractions are shut down when you actually get to grasp the present moment at one of its finest of expressions.

Dhyana

Even when you are reading a book or kicking the ball inside the goal, your concentration may be sporadic or discontinuous. You are focused, but a minute later you find yourself unfocused. So go back to that day in which you found yourself alone in your bedroom painting your next work of art; or out on a magnificent landscape taking pictures, maybe riding your bike around the neighborhood. You were doing exactly what you were meant to be doing in that precise moment of space and time. Space fades away and time is no longer remembered; you are not only immersed in the present moment for ten minutes or just two; you are simply immersed.

Samadhi

Enlightenment usually makes up for the unexplainable of limbs. Some might say it is like attempting to explain what color is to a blind person, but if you have ever experienced true love then you have probably grasped what samadhi is all about. The world is perfect for a moment; nothing requires an explanation because it all makes sense. No need for struggle, no need for success. There are no enemies and no friends, no happiness and no pain; just an absolute state of grace. Because as novelist Ramón del Valle once said:

Pilgrim of the world: If you look with all eyes, you will love with all hearts.

…and this is what samadhi is.

Pregnancy and giving birth is a miracle and a process that takes a mother through a series of emotions and experiences. Chances are, mothers in the labor will gasp in pain and contractions. The science of meditation tells us that a mother can achieve ‘Mindful Pregnancy and Child Birth’ by practicing mediation throughout the pregnancy term and during childbirth.

Mediation helps to reduce cortisol levels, or what is commonly known as stress hormones. Similarly, adrenaline is also reduced to eliminate the probability of anxiety. With reduced levels of anxiety hormones, the immune system improves; and in return, provides calmness to the mother. On the other hand, blood pressure and heart rate remain in control with reduced stress levels.

Aside from this, meditation also increases the production of endorphins, the natural pain relievers in our bodies. With such, the chances of pregnancy complications are decreased.
Mediation also helps anxious mothers to eliminate any negative thoughts and deliver happy and joyful babies.

There are various meditation techniques that a pregnant mother can practice right from the first month of pregnancy.

( Always remember to wear comfortable leggings that are not too tight. Find similar yoga leggings to the one above here.)

Prenatal / Pregnancy Mediation Techniques:

1. Deep Belly Meditation

Practice this for 5 -10 minutes every day. Do this by gently placing both of your hands on your belly, covering the upper and lower portions. Then, gently move your hands in a circular motion as if you are cradling the baby whilst feeling the warmth and the baby’s movements too. Try to focus on your baby with deep inhales and exhales. If done correctly, there’s a chance of hearing your baby’s heartbeat.

2. Mantra Meditation

Words have power and can easily be translated into actions or situations. For example, words of anger or jealousy can easily result in a situation of failure, and words of happiness and love can result in prosperity. In stressful situations of pregnancy, practice this technique of repeating a mantra slowly and steadily by focusing on your breath. Mantras such as ‘Om,’ ‘Be Strong Mama,’ ‘Breath for Baby’ can help you stay strong and distract you from your discomforts.

3. Relax Your Third Eye

Focus on the space between your eyebrows. This space is called your third eye and is known to have a presence of a tremendous light that produces hormones which control your energy levels. Opt to apply slight pressure with your thumb and index finger on that empty space. as there be. Doing so will make you feel relaxed and comfortable.

Labor Mediation Techniques:

1. Deep Breathing

Deep and slow breathing will help instill positive energy. It helps to create a sense of calmness and allows the mother to remain strong and bear the pain. It helps the mother control her senses and get ready to deliver the baby. This technique is generally practiced during the first stage of labor when the contractions have just begun. It helps the mother to get prepared for the final labor.

2. Fast & Short Breathing

This breathing technique is ideally done towards the final stage of labor where the objective is that with every contraction the cervix opens more. Use rapid inhales and exhales for this technique. Because you would be so tired during the last stage of labor, try to use both your nose and mouth for this technique. You may take a break of a few seconds and resume normal breathing.

3. Imagination

This is a very powerful technique where the mother focuses on pleasurable imaginations instead of labor pain. She may also try to imagine how her baby looks like and the feeling of finally holding him or her. However, many believe that imagining the lotus flower ‘lotus’ is most effective as it symbolizes peace and positivity.

Pregnancy and childbirth is a beautiful and life-changing experience. It is amazing to know that mediation can help relieve the stress and anxiety during this experience and make it more beautiful, and peaceful. For receiving the best results, a pregnant mother should practice mediation right before conceiving up to the final stage of labor.

Many people think that Yoga is only about Asanas. However, the truth is that the physical exercises are a part of the spiritual routine that yogis follow. The routine comprises cleansing exercises and rituals that can help you in transforming and cleansing your body inside out. You can also imbibe some of these tips in your daily routine to start the day like a yogi! Following these routines will cleanse your system and improve your overall health!

Drink warm water

The ability to digest is called Agni in Ayurveda. It is an important measure that helps in determining the health of a person. When our digestion system isn’t performing as it should, our body becomes slow and sluggish. We can also begin to lose concentration and experience insomnia. To aid digestion, drinking warm water right after you wake up helps to flush out toxins. Ayurvedic scriptures say that this simple ritual helps in healing many other conditions including eye disease, earaches, headaches, hemorrhoids, and sore throats. Therefore, start drinking a glass of warm water after you wake and you will soon notice a difference in your digestive system.

Tongue Scraping 

Tongue scraping involves the ayurvedic ritual of cleansing your tongue. Use a scraper to cleanse off bacteria from the surface of your tongue. These scrapers can be found in most pharmacies. However, you can also use a spoon for serving the same purpose. It is said that your tongue has a build-up of bacteria, which needs to be cleaned as it is believed that it can contribute to the feeling of hunger, weight gain and bloating. Removing this build-up every morning can reduce the number of toxins from entering your body.

Eye Wash

Take some water in your hands by cupping them and them bring your eyes down and blink into it. Repeat the procedure a few times. By doing this, you will provide your eyes with the required moisture that is necessary for the eyes. It also helps remove toxins from the eyes and cleanses them to improve vision. This practice helps in sharpening the vision and works on ajna chakra thereby leaving you refreshed every morning.

Sesame Oil Massage

Massaging with sesame oil is another ritual followed by yogis. This involves rubbing a little sesame oil behind the ears and jaw. You can also apply it to your neck, your armpits, your shoulders and behind your knees. You should experience a warm sensation in your body when you are rubbing the oil. After a few minutes, remove the oil by taking a hot shower. By doing this, you can improve concentration, help improve joint pain and even calm your body and mind. Overall, this ritual is a great way to kickstart your day.

After all these rituals, start your day by doing chain exercises like pranayama, Surya namaskar and other poses, such as Trikonasana (triangular pose), Balasana (child pose) and Ustasana (camel pose). A combination of Yogasanas, along with the above-mentioned rituals, will help you extensively in maintaining a healthy body and mind.

I don’t know about you, but I always feel tense after a busy and stressful day at the office. This is mostly because of my body getting tired and sitting in a wrong position that creates tension in my upper body, especially my neck and shoulder area. I’m guessing I am not the only one experiencing that discomfort. Luckily, there are certain yoga poses that help relieve that accumulated tension.

The Best Yoga Poses for Neck and Shoulder Tension 

1. Puppy Pose

The Puppy pose gives you an amazing backbend and connects your heart and spirit with the earth while grounding your emotions. It stretches both your upper and middle spine. Kneel on a mat and lower your chest closer to the mat. Stretch your arms forward and press your palms against the floor. Keep your neck straight and aligned with your spine. It helps if you look down instead of gazing up. Also, remember to maintain your hips above the knees. Hold this pose for at least five breaths, and then release. You can repeat this asana a couple of times if you want to achieve better results. 

2. Bow Pose

The Bow pose is great when it comes to opening your chest and boosting flexibility in your neck, shoulders, arms, and legs. Basically, it engages the entire body that leads to a complete relaxation. Lie down on your stomach and lift your legs while grabbing your ankles with your hands.
Inhale and open your chest even more by pushing your legs backward a little bit. This way, you will put pressure on your arms and upper body to make the stretch more intense. Hold this pose for a couple of seconds, and then release it slowly. 

3. Ear to Shoulder Asana

This is a simple pose that you can perform almost anywhere. It engages your neck’s muscles, which consequently improves their strength and flexibility. Also, it relaxes the trapezius muscle as well as your shoulders. Start by either sitting down or standing up in a comfortable position.
Keep gazing straight ahead and place your hands out to the sides, pressing your palms into the mat, with your fingers widely spread. Inhale deeply and, once you begin exhaling, incline your head and bend your neck, bringing your ear closer to your shoulder. Start on your right side. Keep your head straight, and avoid bringing it backward or forward. Your neck and head must be aligned with your shoulders.
For a more intense stretch, you can place your right hand on your head and apply some pressure when you incline your head to the right. This cycle must be done for up to ten times. 

4. Hand to Elbow Pose

You can do this pose from either a sitting or a standing position. Both options are good as long as you keep your spine as straight as possible without pushing your belly in front. Lift your right arm and bend your elbow to drop your palm back, reaching your shoulder blades.
Place the other hand, in this the case the left one, on your right hand’s elbow and put a little pressure on it. This will intensify the stretch. The Hand to Elbow asana stretches your triceps, your shoulders’ front part, and your neck’s back part. Maintain this asana for up to ten breaths and then switch sides. 

Bottom Line
We all experience pain and tension in our neck and shoulder areas. Not all of us can afford the money and time to go to a massage every other day. Fortunately, there are specific yoga poses that you can do in the privacy of your own home. These will relieve tension from your muscles and will change your mood for the better.

Yoga is a wonderful exercise that offers some great benefits to those who follow along with its practice and lifestyle. Its benefits range from, but are not limited to: lowered stress levels, increased flexibility, anxiety relief, and improved sense of balance, but many ask the question, is yoga alone enough to keep you fit?

Often people fall on one side of the fence or another; either you need to combine it with something else, such as running or weight-training, or yoga, at its core, is all that you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Different forms of exercise are often viewed for providing a specific result to the practitioner. Running is great for cardiovascular health, weight-training allows for increasing muscle tone and as a result those who work out will often chose to follow the exercise that gives them the results they are seeking. To further understand what yoga can provide for those who practice it, we can look at whether or not it also gives similar results to that of the other popular forms of exercise.

Key Factors

Some key factors to consider are, does yoga allow for us to get the aerobic exercise, muscle tone, and flexibility we require to give us a complete body workout? We all know that flexibility is a large part of what yogis practice, many moves require the individuals to stretch themselves further each time they attempt a pose. Muscular fitness is also involved in this since a yogi will use his or her own body weight when holding certain poses, thus strengthening his or her muscles. But if you’ve ever doubted that a yoga flow can provide you with the necessary cardiovascular results that you require, try flowing from one pose straight into another for an hour and see where your heart rate falls, it is guaranteed to be at a higher level than it would be at the end of your session in Savasana.

As with all forms of exercise, it is the post-release of endorphins that often keeps many exercisers coming back for more. But unlike running, or weight-lifting, which focus on one factor, the variety of yoga styles and its combination of benefits over singular benefit exercises, make it a solid whole body and mind experience.

In some cases, a person is often suffering from an injury or weakness, such as weak joints or a bad heart, that prevents him or her from doing vigorous exercise. After some rest or recovery, the person is ready to try again, but is apprehensive about reinjuring him or herself. With yoga, the moves are challenging and yet gentle enough to allow for even an injured person to continue with his or her practice in some form or another. This is appealing and reassuring to many practitioners.

Whether your workout is in the gym or at home always look great. Shop the above look here.

Breathing

One added benefit specific to yoga is its unique breathing techniques that when combined with the poses, help increase flexibility, strength, and balance, but can also improve aerobic capacity and the way the lungs function. With yoga, a program is always ended with the pose of Savasana, where the yogi takes the time to focus on breath and being still, this in turn allows for a calming of the mind, something unique to its practice.

What is wonderfully different about yoga is that there are no expectations on the mat but to try; yoga is not about being good at something, but rather being good to yourself. There is something different that happens with yoga that doesn’t always come from other exercise; that is an appreciation for what your body is, regardless of everything else, and that to many, is enough to focus solely on yoga.